THE ROOM
THE Room is a liminal performance & installation, exploring empathy & strangerness, through a bureaucratic consent form, a waiver.
WE SEE THE ROOM, BUT HOW DOES THE ROOM PERCEIVE US?
//Pictures by Joana
Névoa//
You’ve been chosen to witness something very few ever do.
An opportunity to be perceived. If you wish to proceed, please follow me.//
THE Room is a liminal performance and installation. Visitors are invited by the hosts of a strange organisation, the Anomaly Initiative, who tell them they’ve been chosen for a rare opportunity: to be perceived by THE Room. Before entering, they must sign a waiver. They are warned that THE Room meets people only on rare occasions, that it is not used to humans, and that their presence is a privilege, one that comes with the responsibility to respect THE Room’s boundaries. They may leave at any point, up until the moment they are perceived.
Once inside, a visitor steps into a dark, empty space, where they are met and perceived by THE Room. THE Room reacts to whatever the visitor does. Without warning, it decides the encounter is over. The host rushes in to usher the visitor out, apologetic, explaining only that THE Room “is not feeling well” and does not wish to perceive anyone further. The host then turns to the others still waiting and delivers the same message: THE Room is unwell and does not wish to be perceived by anyone else today. The remaining visitors are asked to leave immediately.